Rotherham Borough Council – How To Sue For Compensation

In this guide, we will explore when a potential claim against Rotherham Borough Council could be justified. Your local council owes you a duty of care to do everything they reasonably can to remove or reduce the risks posed by known hazards. If they fail to uphold their duty of care and you are caused physical or psychological harm as a result, you may be able to seek compensation.

claim against Rotherham Borough Council

Can I claim against Rotherham Borough Council?

This guide will discuss the duty of care you’re owed in more detail and examples of accidents that could occur if this duty was breached.

Furthermore, we will provide information on the steps you could take should an accident causing you harm occur.

For more information, you can speak with our advisors. To get in touch:

  • Call us on 0800 408 7827
  • Use the live chat function at the bottom of your screen.
  • Contact us directly through the website.

Select a Section

  1. A Guide On Filing Valid Personal Injury Claims Against The Council
  2. Providing Evidence For Claims Against The Local Council After A Data Breach
  3. What You Must Do When Filing Housing Disrepair Claims Against The Local Council
  4. Can I Make A No Win No Fee Claim Against Rotherham Borough Council?
  5. Is There A Personal Injury Claims Time Limit?
  6. Get Advice On A Potential Claim Against Rotherham Borough Council
  7. More Resources On Making A Claim Against Rotherham Borough Council

A Guide On Filing Valid Personal Injury Claims Against The Council

According to the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, your local council has a duty of care to take reasonable steps to remove or reduce the risks posed by any known hazards to keep you safe. The reasonable steps could include carrying out repairs any defects on the road, on footpaths and in parks in a timely manner.  If your local council were to breach their duty of care to you, this could lead to an accident that sees you suffer an injury, such as a broken cheekbone, a broken rib, or a broken hip.

Some examples of incidences that could cause an accident in a public place are:

  • Broken park equipment, including slides and swings, could see a child to become injured.
  • Defects in the pavement, including cracks, raised paving stones and exposed tree roots. These can result in a slip or trip accident.

To find out when a potential claim against Rotherham Borough council could be justified, you can speak with our advisors.

Example Payouts For Personal Injury Claims

You may wonder how much compensation you are eligible to receive following a successful claim. For personal injury claims, you could receive up to two heads of claim known as general and special damages.

General damages seek to compensate you for the way your physical and mental injuries have impacted your quality of life. Special damages seek to compensate you for any financial suffering due to your injury, such as travel expenses and the cost of care. In both cases, having evidence to support your claim will help you claim these damages back.

Based on the 16th edition of the Judicial College Guidelines, we have created the table below. The guidelines provide compensation brackets that relate to different injuries. Solicitors can refer to these guidelines to help them when valuing the general damages portion of your settlement. How much you actually receive will depend on your specific case, so please only use this table as a guide.

InjuryGuideline Compensation Amount
Back Injuries - (a) Severe (i)£91,090 - £160,980
Brain and Head Injury - (b) Moderate (ii)£90,720 - £150,110
Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips - (a) Severe (i)£78,400 - £130,930
Knee Injuries - (a) Severe (i)£69,730 - £96,210
Foot Injuries - (e) Serious£24,990 - £39,200
Leg Injuries - (b) Severe (ii)£54,830 - £87,890
Wrist Injuries - (b)£24,500 - £39,170
Other Arm Injuries - (c) Less severe£19,200 - £39,170
Hand Injuries - (h) Moderate£5,720 - £13,280
Shoulder Injuries - (c) Moderate£4,350 - £7,890

Providing Evidence For Claims Against The Local Council After A Data Breach

A personal data breach is when a security incident leads to your personal information being accessed or disclosed without authorisation. It can also include when your personal information is lost, altered or destroyed either accidentally or unlawfully.

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and an updated version of the Data Protection Act 2018 work alongside each other to set out the responsibilities an organisation has to protect your personal data.

If an organisation fails to adhere to data protection law and causes your personal data to become compromised leading to you suffering financial loss or mental harm, you may be able to seek compensation. The UK GDPR gives those affected by a personal data breach the right to claim.

Examples of a personal data breach might include:

  • The theft/loss of paperwork containing your personal data.
  • Your personal data being sent to the wrong person, such as the wrong postal address or email address.

If you have evidence that you have been affected by a personal data breach and want to know whether you could be justified in making a claim against Rotherham Borough Council, speak to our advisors.

What You Must Do When Filing Housing Disrepair Claims Against The Local Council

When renting a property from your local council, as your landlord, they are responsible for carrying out necessary repairs. Failure to do so may create or lead to an unsafe living environment. This could result in you sustaining harm. In these cases, you may be able to claim.

Examples of housing disrepair incidents that could cause harm include:

  • Living in a property with mould causing you respiratory issues, such as chest infections or asthma.
  • Plumbing issues that mean you have no running water for days.

If you have been affected by housing disrepair and are when a claim against Rotherham Borough Council could be justified, speak to our advisors today.

Can I Make A No Win No Fee Claim Against Rotherham Borough Council?

If you’re looking to hire legal representation, you may have come across a type of No Win No Fee agreement called a Conditional Fee Agreement.

Many people choose this particular agreement due to the fact that there are no fees to pay upfront or during the duration of your claim for your solicitor’s services.

If you are unsuccessful in your claim, you will not have to pay for your solicitor’s services that they provided you. In the case that you are successful, you will have to pay a percentage of your compensation called a success fee. The amount deductible is capped by law.

To find out more this type of service, get in touch. An advisor may be able to connect you with a solicitor from our panel to represent your claim on this basis.

Is There A Personal Injury Claims Time Limit?

You may now be wondering if you have enough time to make a claim. For personal injury claims, the time limit is set out in the Limitation Act 1980.

As per the legislation, the general time limit to start a claim is three years from the date of the accident. However, this can also commence when you connected your injuries with negligence.

The time limit for those under the age of 18 differs. It will start from the date of the person’s 18th birthday. However, before this time, someone could apply to act as a litigation friend. This is a court-appointed representative who can put forward the claim on the child’s behalf.

When making a data breach claim, you have six years or one year if you’re claiming against a public body.

Speak to our advisors today to find out whether you’re still eligible to claim.

Get Advice On A Potential Claim Against Rotherham Borough Council

Contact us today if you have evidence to prove a legitimate claim against Rotherham Borough Council.

Our team can provide you with free legal advice 24 hours a day. To get in touch, you can:

  • Call us on 0800 408 7827
  • Use the live chat function at the bottom of your screen.
  • Contact us directly through the website.

More Resources On Making A Claim Against Rotherham Borough Council

Some additional articles you may find helpful:

Guides On How To Sue The Local Council

We hope this guide on whether a claim against Rotherham Borough Council could be justified, has helped. If you have any other questions, get in touch on the number above.

Article by ROB

Edited by MIT